Held alternately in Washington and Mexico City, the Cabinet-level Binational Commission (BNC) is the principal mechanism for focusing high-level attention on the full range of issues affecting relations between the United States and Mexico. The United States hosted the 2000 BNC, and again in 2001 because of the State Visit of President Fox September.

The Binational Commission was established
in 1981 by Presidents Reagan and Lopez Portillo to serve as a forum for
meetings between Cabinet-level officials from both
countries. The BNC was envisioned as a simple, flexible tool
that would meet once or twice annually, with U.S. and Mexican
counterparts addressing topics requiring high-level attention.

Following the President's trip to
Guanajuato in February 2001, the United States and Mexico agreed to
streamline and upgrade the BNC. Its 16 working groups were
arranged under seven new thematically linked "Binational Groups"
jointly chaired by a Mexican and U.S. Cabinet officer. The
reorganization reflects the management approach of both Presidents and
their desire to strengthen the effectiveness, accountability, and
problem-solving orientation of the BNC. The 16 sub-groups
continue to meet as necessary throughout the year under Cabinet-level
direction. The Cabinet Binational Group chairs will meet
annually with the two Presidents to report on their activities and to
receive direction for the next year. The first such joint Cabinet
meeting will take place during President Fox's State Visit.

The seven Binational Groups will cover the
following themes: migration ; law enforcement and counternarcotics;
border affairs; trade and economics ; energy; global and social issues,
and foreign policy. Each group established its own schedule
of bilateral meetings, and the subgroups under each Binational Group
have met independently to explore specific topics in depth.

The Binational Groups, and their
sub-groups, are chaired at the cabinet level. Some of the
groups have co-chairs on one or both sides. The chairs of the
binational groups that will brief the presidents are the heads of the
following departments: